The Best Chicken and Rice Soup

This really is the best Chicken and Rice Soup Ever! At least out of all the ones I’ve ever tried.

What makes it so over-the-top-amazing? Two things in particular.

1. Rather than buying chicken stock, we just cook a whole chicken in water and that becomes the broth. We need cooked chicken anyway for the soup, why waste the flavorful water that the chicken simmers in?? So it has a super, SUPER simple homemade stock as the base.

2. We add lemon. Can I just tell you how much better this soup gets when you add the bright lemon??? It completely transforms it and brings so much extra flavor and depth to the table. Just like this recipe, the citrus makes a HUGE difference!

It’s just the perfect soup. It has everything a soup should have. Comfort, amazing flavor, the perfect broth consistency, everything.

You may be thinking, wait…it’s 80 degrees outside. Why are we talking about soup?

Well I am a firm believer that soup can and should be eaten all year ’round because soup is one of the best things in the world. If I could only eat soup during Fall and Winter I would not be a happy camper. But here is why this soup is so perfect for spring and summer – it is light and bright (unintentional rhyme).

It’s definitely not a heavy soup in the first place, but when you add the lemon it just adds this huge punch of brightness that makes this soup completely appropriate for warmer months :).

It’s the lemon in this soup that gives it that unique flavor and makes it the most addicting soup EVER! After I finished photographing these yummy bowls of goodness, I sat there eating spoonful after spoonful out of the pot for about 15 minutes. My intention was just to have one spoonful. I’m telling you. Addicting.

I have to tell you a story about what happened while I was making this, though. I had already simmered the chicken for 45 minutes and taken ALL the meat off ALL the bones. The bones were busy simmering for another 20 minutes in the pot and my beautifully shredded chicken was laying nicely and innocently on my cutting board next to the stove. I was sitting on my couch, finishing up this blog post when I heard a few little noises coming from the kitchen. I stood up to see Boone (our dog) polishing off the last of the shredded chicken. He literally ate every. Single. Last. Piece. An ENTIRE chicken’s worth of meat. And it was a big chicken, guys. I was SO MAD. I ended up driving to the grocery store right down the street and buying a rotisserie chicken. I shredded that for the meat portion of this soup. But it was only about half the size of my original chicken.

I am still quite upset with him.

Actually that’s not true. I was un-mad at him pretty quickly afterwards because he is so dang cute. Don’t judge me. When you are married without kids your pets become your children.

Comments

Yum, this really does sound like the best!! I’ve seen a few people adding lemon to chicken soup lately and it seriously sounds like the best thing ever, so bright and fresh! I need to try it!Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel recently posted…Cats Can Eat Healthy, too!

Chicken noodle soup has always been my favorite and my grandmother made the best. Now that I can’t have gluten I make her recipe but use rice instead. She also simmered the whole chicken, but I’m definitely adding lemon next time I make it! I love lemon and I bet it it’s delicious in chicken soup. I too eat soup all year round no matter how hot it is. I had to laugh about Boone eating all the chicken – my childhood dog, Toby did stuff like that on many occasions. We used to call him Houdini – he could literally get into anything if we weren’t watching him!Keri @ Fashionable Foods recently posted…Fennel and Orange Salad

I love that she simmers the whole chicken too! It really does make it so much better. Yes, you should totally add lemon next time! I am telling you…it makes the soup so bright and adds delicious flavor. Haha, Houdini – I love it. Boone needs to take over that nickname.

Boone! Oh no! That is just the worst. I bet he was verrrry full after eating all that chicken. But hey, he ate it all so you know it tasted good and you’re a good cook! I love chicken and rice soup. This recipe is fantastic!Natalie @ Tastes Lovely recently posted…Meet Our Baby Chicks!

Oh I’m totally craving this soup for breakfast right now! :) Chicken and rice is one of my favorites! And I love that you didn’t use regular chicken stock. My Grandma always used to make her chicken noodle soup the same way and it really is the best!Gayle @ Pumpkin ‘N Spice recently posted…Banana Bread Granola

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Annie Chesson
I am a passionate Christian, proud Army wife, cooking addict, and owner of the cutest German Shepherd/Lab in the whole world! Join me in my journey to create delicious, flavorful food. More About Me...